The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and more particularly to surface-mounted semiconductor devices having clips for connecting to external elements.
To be used in electronic circuits, semiconductor dies are packaged to form semiconductor devices which may be directly connectable to external elements such as conductive pads on a substrate. The packaging of electronic devices provides several functions. Protection of the semiconductor die against moisture and other damaging environmental elements, electrical connection to external elements and thermal management of the heat generated by the semiconductor die are among the most important functions of an electronic package. Conventionally known packages such as DIP and SOIC packages address these functions. These packages often use a lead frame structure which in some cases are 4-5 time the size of the semiconductor die. Thus, packaging of a semiconductor die according to conventional designs often results in a semiconductor device which is much larger than the die itself.
The trend toward miniaturization of electronic systems compels the maximum utilization of space. One way to maximize space utilization is to minimize the size of components in the device to thereby increase the component density. While increasing component density leads to maximization of space utility, other challenges such as efficient heat reduction and reduction of parasitic electrical effects due for example to connection resistivity must also be addressed in any design.